The choice of a mattress to support an infant in a bed or crib is certainly important. Most of the infant mattresses are innersprings, although some are constructed of foam. An innerspring mattress usually has a metal spring unit, layers of light padding and insulators to keep the padding from migrating into the springs. The layers are then usually covered in some type of a liquid resistant ticking. A foam mattress is usually just a slab of foam inside a ticking material like that on an innerspring mattress. On such mattresses, whether foam or innerspring, the ticking is usually a layer of vinyl fabric. As the price of the mattress rises, they usually will then employ quilted vinyl or multiple layers of vinyl laminated together and reinforced with synthetic like nylon.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is said to be the leading cause of death among babies between one month and one year of age. In the United States, the rate of SIDS cases seems to be diminishing and experts attribute this to perhaps greater public awareness of preventative measures. SIDS is defined simply as the medically unexplained death of an infant or baby under age one. It has been reported that even with the decline in such deaths, over 5,000 babies each year in the United States, continue to fall victim to this syndrome. Although there has been a great amount of research over the past twenty years or so into the possible causes of SIDS, no one really knows why or how it strikes. Researchers now believe that a variety of factors may play a role, everything from sleeping position to room temperature.
There is some research that seems to indicate that the sleeping position of the infant is possibly linked to SIDS. Although this research is preliminary, the current recommendation is that babies sleep on their backs or sides, the thinking being that babies who sleep on their stomach are at higher risk. In this connection, a recent study has found that SIDS victims were nearly twelve times more likely to be discovered on their stomach than any other position. Premature infants with respiratory problems, infants who vomit and those with certain upper airway obstructions are exceptions and it is recommended that they usually should be put to sleep face down. In this connection, it is also recommended that babies not sleep on soft surfaces such as sheepskin or on a pillow since doing so may put the infant at risk for suffocation by causing the infant to rebreathe the exhaled air.
Thus, it appears that soft bedding may form a pocket around the face of the infant, forming a seal which traps air so that the baby rebreathes the same air, much like a person who breathes into a paper bag.
In view of the foregoing, it is appreciated that there is a need for an improved mattress or infant support which may serve to lessen the risk of SIDS and give other benefits while the infant is resting or sleeping.